The Facts of Love
by Lupanaridae
Summary: James finally figures out his feelings for Sarah. Now all that's left to do is get her to see them, too. Used to be a one-shot, but adding more.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is the result of my latenight inspiration moments where I just HAVE to write, even if its going on midnight. I was experimenting a new way of writing, so let me know what you think please! I need the feedback!**

**A/N - I do not own Liberty's Kids and NEVER will :)**

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The rain poured heavily from the sky, smashing against the windows of James' bedroom with loud pinging sounds. He tossed, turned and mummbled in his sleep, completely unaware of the storm. Then a bright flash of lightning appeared in the sky, followed closely by its companion, a loud crack of thunder of equal force.

James shot up in bed when the noise reached his ears. His forehead was coated with sweat caused by the adrenaline rush to his brain. He breathed deeply numerous times before finally relaxing from the shock.

He had been having bad dreams again; Dreams about a lightning storm, his friend Sarah being trapped in the print shop by flames, knowing that there was nothing he could do to save her. Telling his subconsious it was only a dream did little to calm his racing mind. He hated to think about bad things happening to those around him, particulary Sarah.

No matter how hard he tried, James couldn't pinpoint why his thoughts about her made his heart race, his hands swear, and his stomach flipflop into knots. He'd known Sarah for a long time now, and he had always been a little... uneasy around her. It made him crazy that she did this to him, with no explanation to boot.

James reached for the sketch he had drawn, which lay on his nightstand. The sketch was a beautiful portrait of Sarah, which he drew without her knowing. She was writing a letter to her mother, something she did everyday without fail.

James had never tried drawing before, but thought he'd give it a try. He concluded that if he could sketch half as good as he could write articles he would be pretty good. His first drawing was nice, and he was pleased with it, but it was no match for the real Sarah.

Why was she on his mind so much lately? Why did she give him these feelings? James tried the only thing he thought would help answer these questions: State the facts.

Fact number 1: _She made him feel different than any girl he had known before. _She gave him feelings he didn't understand. Part of him hated the feelings, while another part couldn't live without them. It was like the rainstorm outside: The weather brought you down, but it made the crops in the fields grow.

Fact number 2: _He had fantasies about her all the time. _That one was the hardest to deal with. Many a time James had been daydreaming about her while printing and nearly cut off his finger from his absentmindedness.

Fact number 3: _He went out of his way to get her to notice him._ James was often saying or doing something to make Sarah talk back to him. Most of the time it was a varing opinion, which was the reason for the constant arguments. He hated how she often outsmarted him with her wit, but at least she talked to him.

James had written the three facts on a page of his notebook, and was now reading them over, trying to find an answer. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, for it was still the middle of the night. He read the first, the second, then the third, and then read them all again.

In a flash, James realized the answer to his questions: he was head over heals in love with Sarah. It was the only thing that made sense, and at the same time it didn't. The two of them constantly faught and argued over everything and anything. "How can I love her when I argue with her?" He said aloud to no one. He answered himself, saying that he was just too stupid to realize that he loved her and didn't know how to act around her. James could feel his face heating up from thinking about it.

For a brief moment, he woundered what it would be like if she loved him too. The thought made him smile, and his stomach knotted up again. He was as sure as ever that he really was in love with her. There was only one thing left to do, and that was to make her see that he loved her. But how to do that?

James laid his head on his pillow, deciding to wait until morning. In no time at all he was fast asleep, and unable to hear the sounds of the rainfall. As he started dreaming about the girl he love, his heartbeat slowed, and his face revealed a contented smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - So yeah, I know this was going to be a one-shot, but I couldn't leave it like that! Not sure exactly where I'm going with this but it'll be good! ENJOY!**

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James woke up later than usual the next morning. As he sat up and yawned, the memories from last night came flooding back. He couldn't stop the smile forming on his face that resulted from thinkng of Sarah. As he dangled his feet off the edge of the bed he could already smell breakfast being cooked. Eggs he guessed by the sent that reached his nose.

As he worked his way towards the food he suddenly remembered his dream. The dream of Sarah trapped in the print shop by the flames from a lightning storm. He cringed in remembrance, for lightning was something James dispised with a passion. It was the only reason he was an orphan, which fueled his hatred even more.

He stepped in the kitchen to see Moses and Sarah hard at work, and Henri sitting at the table. One look at Sarah and James' stomach felt as if a dozen butterflies had just hatched in his body and were now trying to find a way out.

"Zhere you are, Zames!" Henri spoke, his heavy accent sluring James' name. "We thought you were never going to wake up!" Moses and Sarah now turned from their cooking to question him.

"Yes, James, we _were_ worried." Sarah scolded. James gave a half grin/half scowl. He knew that she was only saying that to get him angry, but deep down he wished that she really had been concerned about him. He wished she had meant those words for _him_, and not just _for_ him.

James noticed how her long, red hair was neatly combed and pulled back into a ponytail. It was in the same style as every other day, but to James, it looked like she had the hair of an angel. And her eyes, boy were they gorgous. A beautiful emerald green that shinned like nothing else. He also saw the chain a locket around her neck. It was the one he had given her, made from his deceased mothers ring. He loved to see her wear it, because it made him feel as if he did the right thing in giving it to her. Not to mention that it added to her beauty.

Come on, James, snap out of it, he told himself. This was making him crazy. On top of it all, that dream was haunting him, and it was taking its toll on his energy. He must have looked like a dead man walking, because Henri gave him a funny look.

"Zames, are you okay?" Henri asked, "You look dead to the world." For once, James couldn't egnore Henri's question. His young boyish face held feelings of worry for his friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just... had a bad dream, that's all." As he finished speaking he sat down in a chair and rubbed his eyes.

"What was the dream about?" Henri asked innocently. James had an instant flashback of the dream as clear as crystal: Sarah standing in the print shop... the shop covered in flames... James standing in the street horrified at the sight. He shook himself of the memory.

"Uh... just a lightning storm, that's all." James replied, his hands starting to sweat from the anxiety. Moses looked him in the eye, and he could tell how upset James was. He, unlike Henri, knew how much his parent's death affected James.

"It was just a dream, James." Moses said, trying to be reassuring. He gave James a look that said 'it'll be fine, don't worry about it'. "Now eat up, everyone. We've got a big day ahead of us. Ben Franklin's ship is returning shortly and Henri and I are going to meet him." As he spoke he passed out the food to the three teens.

"What about me?" James asked, his mouth full of food. Sarah glared at him for his ungentleman-like conduct, and he just shrugged; He was hungry.

"You and Sarah need to finish the articles you started yesterday. They have to be done today, preferably before Ben comes back." James swallowd the mouthful of food he was chewing. He would have to work with Sarah. Alone. In the shop. Without Henri or Moses. Great, he thought.


	3. Chapter 3

The time seamed to fly by after that conversation. Before anything could be protested, Moses and Henri were out the door and on their way to the docks. James watched them go regretfully. He didn't want to be stuck with Sarah now that he knew he true feelings for her. And with her around, how could he figure out how to tell her he loved her?

"James, aren't you listening to me?" Sarah's voice broke through his thoughts. He turned and saw she had been working on her article.

"What was that? What'd you say?" Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I said you should get to work on your article or you'll never get it done."

"Oh, right, the article on George Washington. Yeah, I got it." He refused to make eye contact with her as he approached the press and began setting up the letters. Sarah noticed this and eyed him carefuly.

"Are you sure your okay? You don't seam like yourself this morning." Great, he thought, of all days for her to notice me it had to be today. "Was it that dream? Maybe you'll feel better if you talk about it."

He finally looked up at her, her bright green eyes attempting to hypnotize him. He quickly looked away and escaped from their powers.

"In my dream, there was a thunder storm, and a bolt of lightning hit the shop. And... and..." Again, he looked up at Sarah, if only to reassure himself that she was still there. "And you... you were trapped inside." Sarah's eyes grew wide, and there was a moment of awkward silence.

"Oh my, that is rather distressing." She said when she found her voice, "And your really upset over it, aren't you?" James, still not looking at her directly at her, gave a weak nod. "I had no idea you cared so much, James." James's head jolted up.

"Wha...?"

"I mean, the two of us are always expressing separate opinions, and I never realized you thought of us as friends." Sarah absentmindedly played with the locket around her neck. James could have sighed with relief. "I like that very much." Sarah added a reassuring smile, which sent James' heart racing. It beat so fast that he could feel it in his face. But Sarah didn't notice.

"I guess we should finish getting this article written before Moses returns." James continued setting up letters and at one point, he actually finished his article. The whole time he worked, though his mind was on reporting, his eyes were continuously drawn to a beautiful teenager with pretty red hair.

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**A/N - This took a while to finish because I could NOT get the dialogue right for some reason. And I know its shorter, but it wouldn't fit into one chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

Sarah and James continued to work on their articles for a long time. And any spoken words between them always involved work. But James didn't mind. Talking about his work was a lot less awkward then just plain conversation. And working kept his mind off of other... distracting things. But unfortunately, he couldn't keep his mind focused. It was of some benefit, though. James thought that Ben might give im some advice on Sarah. A long shot, he knew, but worth a try anyway.

After an hour or so went by until Moses and Henri returned. Doctor Franklin walked in behind them carrying a single suitcase in his hand. Henri was busily talking away to doctor Franklin, saying something about pie and being hungry. Sarah greeted him with a big hug and James did the same.

"Its so good to see you again, doctor Franklin." Said Sarah with a smile.

"It has indeed been too long, my dear Sarah." Replied Ben, "I think this will be the last of my voyages for a long time. Not only am I away from home for long periods, but I miss Sarah's excellent cooking!" Everyone started laughing including Sarah. It was now lunchtime, and doctor Franklin went upstairs to unpack. Moses, Sarah, and Henri headed to the kitchen to cook and clean, leaving James standing in the middle of the shop. After checking to make sure no one saw him, James made my way upstairs to Ben's study/bedroom. Nervously he knocked on the door. He heard Ben's approval and entered.

"Ah, James, come in." he said, and then noticed the nervousness all over James' face. "What seams to be troubling you? I'm assuming that's why you came up here." James nodded.

"I wanted to ask you for some advice." Ben, who had been composing a letter, motioned his hand towards the bed for James to sit down. Once he did, Ben continued.

"What kind of advice, James?" James swallowed the lump forming in his throat.

"Uh... advice on how to get a girl to... know you like them." Ben seamed surprised at this answer. He stood up and closed the door.

"Your talking about Sarah, aren't you?" James looked up surprised. Ben was smiling warmly at him.

"How did you know?" Ben started laughing.

"James, when you get to be my age, you tend to notice how these things. I could tell you two were attracted towards each other before either of you realized it yourselves. I'm actually shocked that you didn't figure it out sooner, James." Ben proceeded to sit back down in his chair facing James.

"Wait a sec, you said 'I could tell you two were attracted to each other', so does that mean...?" Ben nodded, still smiling. James was speechless. Sarah actually liked him, too? Ben continued, snapping James out of his thoughts.

"Back to the matter at hand. I have several pieces of advice for you, James, and I hope you listen well and take them to heart. Take time for all things: great haste makes great waste. Do not rush into love too quickly. This means, be sure things are right, and the circumstances are proper before making any big decisions. Another is this: If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins. Basically that means be sure your intentions are good before following your heart. The last one is this: There are two ways of being happy - We must either diminish our wants or augment our means. Either may do and the result is the same, but it is for each man to decide for himself and to do that which happens to be easier."

Ben paused and watched James intently, who had been eagerly taking in every word he said.

"That is the best advice I can give, James. Keep in mind all that I have told you and you will find that it is the best advice any man can give." James smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Ben. Thanks for everything."

"Your welcome, James." He stood up to leave, but Ben stopped him. "One last piece of advice, James. Whoever you decide to court be sure to treat her well. Make her feel special because she is. And always show her that you care." With those last words, James thanked Ben once more and closed the door behind him.

**A/N - I realized that I was switching back and forth between first person POV and third, so I fixed it. Sorry for that!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - This story is wrapping up, and there will probably be one or two chapters left after this. Enjoy! And I promise it won't be long for another update!**

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After he left Ben's room, James headed to his own and sat on the bed. He mostly just sat there and thought for a long time about what doctor Franklin had said. He had given James excellent advice about love, and now all he had to do was put that advice to work. But how do you get a girl like Sarah to notice someone like James...

Henri came pounding at the door, interrupting James' train of thought.

"James, lunch is ready so you better hurry up before its gone!"

"Alright, I'm coming, Henri." he replied, and Henri moved on to doctor Franklin.

The food was good, but James was completely silent, too caught up in his own troubles to speak. Occasionally he'd sneak a glance at Sarah and think to himself, _how is she ever going to notice me?_

"I almost forgot," said Moses, "I had an order for a part for the press that came in today and it must be picked up. It'll take four of us to get it into the cart, so who wants to stay behind?"

"I'll volunteer," Sarah said raising her hand, "I have to clean up anyway, so its not a problem." Moses agreed to let her stay.

"Aw, but I wanted to stay!" Henri moaned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sorry, Henri, but we'll need you to help carry the part." said James. He knew how Henri felt; he would have loved to stay behind and talked to Sarah.

A few minutes later Ben, Henri and Moses were walking out the door, James not far behind. Before he reached for the door nob Sarah touched his shoulder, which surprised him and sped up his heartbeat.

"Are you feeling better now, James? You seam a little more like yourself than you did earlier."

"Yeah, I'm fine." he paused trying to think of something else to say.

"That's good. I'm glad to hear it, James." Silence engulfed them. "Be sure to stay out of trouble!" James smiled.

"Not a problem, my dear." he said and bowed in mockery. Sarah began to laugh.

"That's that James I know!" James grinned and rushed out the door.

Sarah returned to the kitchen and began to clean up the remains of dinner. She was about to start sweeping the floor when she heard someone knock and enter. She went to great the stranger, thinking it was information for a story. It was an older gentleman, and he had a scruffy beard and large brown boots that clanked the floor as he walked.

"Good afternoon, sir," Sarah greeted, "how may I help you today?"

"Just bringing the mail." the man spoke, pulling out a letter for Sarah from her mother.

"Wow, your early today. And what happened to Matthew? He usually the one who brings our mail." The man shrugged.

"I don't know for sure, ma'am. Word around town is that he was robbed yesterday. Some guy on the street just came up and knocked him out with one punch. Didn't steal much, though, or so I hear."

"Oh, my, that's awful! I hope he's alright!"

"Yes, so do I. Its quite strange for sure." The man seemed to be lost in thought momentarily. He then pointed a finger at Sarah. "Now, you best be careful, you hear? I don't want you getting into the same thing Matthew did. You best keep your wits about you."

"I sure will, and thank you!" and with a nod and tip of his hat, the scruffy looking man was gone.

Sarah walked back to the kitchen and continued her cleaning, all the while humming to herself and thinking about what the man had said. It wasn't like Matthew to get robbed like that. He was well-off money wise, but he wasn't the type of person that you'd see getting robbed. As she continued to daydream about the subject, she was suddenly hit and fell to the floor. The last thing she saw was a glimpse of strangely familiar brown boots and a beard on the face of her attacker.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - I know its a very short chapter, but I promise the next is going to be longer! And maybe two more chaps after this...**

Sarah had no idea how long she was out. But when her mind slowly gained consciousness and her senses began to work, an unusual but familiar smell reached her nose. She sniffed again, not wanting to believe what her brain was telling her. But again, the same choking substance made her cringe in fear. And there was only one explanation.

There was a fire.

She opened her eyes as much as she could, suddenly feeling weak. She was surrounded by smoke that was causing her to cough. She pushed herself up on her elbows, finding it took more effort than she remembered. She had to get to the front door where there was fresh air.

Using the table and a nearby chair she managed to stand upright. She looked around trying to see where the fire had started, but it had spread everywhere. Sarah tried walking, which was wobbly and difficult. She made it as far as the printing press before collapsing from lack of energy. It was as if the fire had knocked every ounce of energy she had out of her.

Sarah slowly began to loose her grip on reality. The smoke had ceased to make her cough and she was suddenly getting sleepy. The last thing that went through her head as she closed her eyes was James's smiling face.

"There you go, she'll do the trick for sure." the man shook hands with Moses and Dr. Franklin.

"I hope so, or the Gazette won't have a story for some time." James wiped his forehead. It was hot and that part was heavy. He was about to say something when he noticed the smoke in the distance. Something was obviously on fire. Very unusual.

Then a man on horseback came galloping up to the docks shouting something inaudible. When he stopped his horse and filled his lungs again, everyone nearby heard him.

"The Pennsylvania Gazette is on fire! The building is on fire!" James's heart was in his throat instantly. A quick glance at Moses and Dr. Franklin confirmed that they heard the man too. Without a second thought, James was on the man's horse and sprinting in the direction of the print shop.

"James, come back! Its too dangerous!" Moses's calls were mere muffles to James. His Sarah was in danger, and he had to do something.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - Getting very close to the end! This chap was written during school and uploaded with my school's computer, so it may have a few mistakes... just fyi.**

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James urged the horse faster and faster, but he was already going full speed. For him it still wasn't fast enough, as the print shop was still a few blocks away. The sounds of the horse's hoofs and the beating of his heart were the only things that could be heard. James's thoughts were filled with images of Sarah, and the more he pictured her the more he began to worry.

Finally, after what seemed to be the longest ride in his life, James brought the horse to a stop a few buildings down from the shop. The window was broken, and inside the flames rose higher and higher from the fresh air. He jumped off the horse and broke into a run. With every step the adrenaline in his body helped him run faster, and he prayed that he wasn't too late.

With a single kick and shove of his body, the door to the print shop opened, and James was met by a wall of smoke. Without hesitation, he entered into the shop and the menacing darkness that awaited him. He began to cough so he pulled his shirt above his mouth. Keeping the door open cleared out some of the smoke, but also fueled the flames that were everywhere. His eyes darted around, never staying in one place for more than a few seconds. In a panic-stricken voice he called for Sarah. No answer.

"Sarah!" he yelled louder, but still no response. He found the press easily, as it was the biggest thing in the room. Then he made out a figure on the ground, unmoving, and he didn't need to guess who it was.

He ran over and got to the floor. Even this close to her it was hard to see her. His shirt had fallen down from his mouth and he had started coughing again, but he ignored it. Sarah was bruised and covered with smoke but was otherwise unharmed by the fire itself. He was partially relieved. James lifted her head some and tried to wake her up. She stirred and opened her eyes halfway. She blinked and they slowly began to focus on James's face.

"James?"

"Can you walk?" he blurted. She nodded weakly, but James was unconvinced. "Come on, we've got to get you out of here!" he put his arm around her and she did the same. As they stood up, James glanced behind them and saw the fire practically nipping at their heels like a dog. He didn't alarm Sarah, but just kept encouraging her to walk towards the door. Both of them were coughing profusely now, barely even able to get a word out. It took some time, but eventually they made it to the door, and they were met by Moses and Dr. Franklin, and then James blacked out.


	8. Chapter 8

When James finally regained conciousness, he felt as if his body had quit on him and he hurt everywhere. He opened his eyes and saw that somebody was leaning over him. That someone had short black hair and a young face that was wet with tears. Henri, no doubt. As his other senses began to kick in, he felt that he was sweating, but he was somehow cold and shaking like crazy. The bright sunlight reached his eyes and he squinted, groaning as he did so.

"James! You are not dead!" Henri shouted, "oh, I am so happy I could kiss you!" James grinned as Henri blushed bright red. "Well, not really, but I'm still so happy you are awake!"

As James's eyes adjusted to the light, he realized he was laying in the back of Moses's wagon. Henri was hanging of the edge and the blackened ruins of the print shop were just a few buildings away. The fire had been extinguished, but from James's vantage point everything looked to be completely destroyed.

"Where's Sarah? Is she okay?" James asked, beginning to panic.

"She's with Dr. Franklin. She inhaled too much smoke and she couldn't breathe, so Dr. Franklin was trying to find a way to help her breathe better. Don't worry James, she'll be fine because YOU saved her! If you hadn't taken Mr. Harrsion's horse and ran straight for the print shop, Sarah would have died." Henri's face grew sad at the sheer thought, and so did James'.

"I want to see her-"

"Sorry James, but Moses and Dr. Franklin both said that you are to stay here, and I am to watch over you until they say you can go."

"But-" James began coughing and a samaritan nearby came and offered James a cup of tea. He accepted graciously and thanked the woman for her kindness. Turns out that the Pennsylvania Gazette had a lot of loyal fans, because a ton of people came and did what they could to help. Whether it was making food, or helping to clean up what was left of the shop. Makeshift tents had been set up in the middle of the streets for such things, and James guessed that Dr. Franklin and Sarah were in one of them.

Some time later, James spotted Sarah and Dr. Franklin walk towars him. Sarah broke into a run, against Dr. Franklin's protests, and James found himself being squeezed to death by his crush. He wished they could have stayed that way, but eventually it had to end, and he needed air.

"How are you James?" Sarah asked worried.

"I'm fine, but how are you? Henri told me that you couldn't breathe." She smiled, and James's heart stopped momentarily.

"You know how Henri exagerates things. It wasn't that bad, thanks to you." James was thankful for the layer of smoke on his face because it hid the blush that appeared. Dr. Franklin decided to intervine at this moment.

"Oh, look at the time, I must meet with a man who just might give us a place to stay for the night. Henri why don't you join me?" Turning to James he grinned, and James knew to thank Dr. Franklin for this moment alone. When they truly were alone, James lead Sarah to the wagon and they sat down.

"James, why in the world did you come into the shop after me? You could have been killed, too, you know."

"Why wouldn't I come after you? Your one of my best friends!" James put a hand on her shoulder. "How could I have left you there without at least trying? Sure, we have our moments but I wouldn't trade you for the world!"

Sarah smiled one of her special smiles, and James grinned, happy that his plan had worked. That was when Dr. Franklin's words came flooding back to James: _We must either diminish our wants or argument our means_, _take time for all things. _He knew how badly he loved Sarah, but he realized that now was not the time to tell her. He would wait a little longer, heck he could wait forever if she'd court him one day.

Sarah yawned as she tried to fight sleep. When James noticed this he gently pulled her against his shoulder, leaving his arm drapped across hers.

"Try and get some sleep, Sarah." he told her, and within a few moments her breathing slowed enough that James knew she had to be asleep. Then Ben's final piece of advice came back to him: _Always show her that you care._ And, well, that's exactly what he planned to do. He looked down at Sarah's face, which was at ease momentarily, and gently kissed her on the cheek. The rush that followed went straight to his heart as Sarah smiled, completely unaware of the kiss's origin.

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**A/N - Yay, the final chapter! Alright, I know some of you were probably expecting a real kiss, but I thought this way was more suited to the story. Sorry to disapoint any of you! But, hey, I added the check kiss at the last second, so don't hate me that much! And I just want to take a moment to thank all of you who reviewed this story, you guys are awesome! Especially those of you who review on every chapter, because then I have a good idea of when to update. I check my account on here every day to see if anyone has reviewed, and I'm always thrilled when you have! So thank you all!**


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